Poet turns down Bakrie Award

The Jakarta Post Sat, August 04 2012


Indonesian poet Seno Gumira Ajidarma followed in the steps of several intellectuals by refusing to the 2012 Achmad Bakrie Award, which comes with Rp 250 million (US$26,250) of prize money.

Seno stated in his website on Friday that he received an official letter from the award organizer, the Freedom Institute, on June 12, announcing him the winner for his exceptional works in literature.

“I wrote on June 18 to the Freedom Institute, saying it was better that the award was given to someone else that deserves it, because I cannot accept it,” Seno wrote in duniasukab.com, without further explanation.

Two years ago, noted poet Sitor Situmorang and social scientist Daoed Joesoef, also a former education and culture minister, refused to receive the award.

In June 2010, poet, journalist and cultural critic Goenawan Mohamad returned the same award he was presented in 2004, along with Rp 100 million in prize money plus interest.

In 2007, Catholic intellectual Rev. Franz Magnis-Suseno declined to receive the award due to the mudflow disaster